Form compensating means



Oct. 14, 1952 H, R RETTER TAL 2,613,602

FORM COMPENSATING MEANS Filed sept. 4. 1948 Patented Oct. 14, 1952 FORMCOMPENSATING MEANS Harry R. Retter and Charles R. Greene, Tipp City,Ohio; said Retter assignor to said Greene Application September 4, 1948,Serial No. 47,854

1 Claim.

This invention relates to space compensating devices for use in printingtype forms and to methods of making and forming such devices.

Articles of the class to which the invention pertains have especialapplication in letter press printing or the like, wherein type iscontained and locked in a chase. In order to gain impressions of uniformweight and clarity, it is important that all the type area be broughtand retained solidly against the press bed. Displacement of the typesometimes occurs, and rows of type have a tendency to arch, due in partto a tapered formation of the type elements and in other part to unequalclamping pressures. To guard against type displacement and arching, itis the practice of printers to insert between lines of type and betweenthe type and the chase walls compensating means in the form of lockingstrips. The function of these strips is to hold the type more securelyin position within the chase, and the strips preferably are so adaptedand arranged as to exert a greater pressure against the bases of thetype elements than against the upper portions thereof to inhibitarching.

The compensating devices as heretofore used for this purpose have beenmetal strips variably constructed and arranged in permanent forms andsizes. Frequently they are fabricated or assembled elementsincludingsprings or clamps, or both, for engagement with the bases ofthe type slugs. Accordingly, a number of disadvantages are inherent inthe use of the prior art devices, including relatively high cost, lossof eectiveness through wear, the necessity for having on hand a largestock in varying lengths, and also the not inconsiderable objection in abusy print shop that the locking strip of the length desired may bemisplaced or elsewhere in use.

It is the general object of the present invention to obviate theobjections above noted to the use of presently available locking strips.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to obtain acompensating device or locking strip of increased adaptability andeffectiveness in its application in counteracting any inherent ordeveloped springing or distorition of a typographical form when lockedin a chase.

Another object of the invention is to obtain a compensating device andmethod of making such device which incorporates in locking strips thefeatures of easy adaptability to any space requirements, and ofinexpensiveness so that strips once used may be discarded.

A further object of the invention is to make printing type formcompensating means which is available to the printer or typesetter inthe form of rolls or continuous strips of a foldable material and fromwhich strips he may sever portions of desired lengths, the foldablematerial being scored or cut in a predetermined pattern for folding orforming to the proper shape whereby locking strips of any length may beeasily and quickly made by the typesetter himself, and once used,discarded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a form compensatingmeans of the character described, having the advantageous structuralfeatures and possessing the inherent meritorious characteristics, andthe method of use herein set forth.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will morefully appear in the specication, the invention intended to be protectedby Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the partsand combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, as hereinafterdescribed or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or theirequivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferredbut obviously not the only embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a View in cross-section through a printing type form showinglocking strips fashioned in accordance with the present inventioninserted therein;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a strip portion severed from the roll ofFig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of a roll of foldable material adaptedand arranged for the making of locking strips therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the strip portion of Fig. 2 as itappears following the first folding step toward formation as a lockingstrip;

Fig. 5 is a View in end elevation of the strip portion of Figs. 2 and 4as finally folded; and

Fig. 6 is a, view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modied form of lockingstrip.

Lilie parts are indicated by similar characters throughout the severalviews.

ln the drawings, Fig. 3 shows a coil or roll of paper stock IU in stripform. The paper may be of any suitable weightl and grade, the onlyrequirements being that it be foldable and have suicient body to retainits folded shape and to perform its function as a compensating insert.

Strip portions may be severed from the continuous roll in any desiredlengths and such a portion is illustrated in Fig. 2, indicated at Il.The portion Il, or strip as it will hereinafter be referred to, isweakened along longitudinal lines I2, I3 and III. The line I2 is in theaDDIOX- mate center of the strip, while the lines I3 and I4 are spacedequidistant from the central line I2, on either side thereof, a distanceless than half of that between the central line and the side edges ofthe strip.

The lines I2, I3 and I4 are here shown as being formed by a series ofnotches or cuts in the paper, but they may be formed by a perforatingmethod. The longitudinal lines may also be formed by a scoring orcreasing process, since the principal purpose thereof is to serve as aguide and to facilitate folding of the strip into shape for use as aninsert in the printing type form.

In folding the strip, it is desired to obtain a device which is thickeralong one longitudinal margin thereof, which may be called the base,than along the opposite margin thereof, which may be called the top. Onemethod of so folding the strip comprises the first step of folding thestrip II along the central longitudinal line I 2 to produce a formationas shown in Fig. 4. As the next step, the side portions IS-It of thestrip outwardly of the longitudinal lines I3 and I4 are reversely foldedabout the respective lines I3 and I4.

The resulting formation of the strip is as indicated in Fig. 5, where itmay be noted that the folding steps have placed a four sheet thicknessof paper at the lower or base portion and only a two sheet thickness atthe upper or top portion. As so folded, the strip is ready for insertionin the printing form, the base or thicker portion of the strip beingdownward in order that the type slugs which frequently have a taperedformation may have substantially equal pressure exerted against the baseand top portions thereof. If necessary, a number of strips may be placedalongside one another to compensate for the slightly tapered formationof the type slugs. Equalization of pressure upon the type slugseliminates any tendency for the type to buckle when locked in the chase.

A section of a type form containing inserts according to the presentinvention is shown in Fig. 1, and it will be noted that one strip IIappears in the center of the form, between type slugs Il, while othersoccupy the spaces between the type and the holder or chase I8. When thetype form is disassembled, the strip Il may be discarded, new striplengths being cut and folded in accordance with the space requirementsof each form.

While the material from which the locking strips are made is heredescribed as paper, it will be understood that any suitable foldablematerial may be used. Further, in its uncut form the paper or otherfoldable material may be either wound in a roll, as shown in Fig. 3, orbe supplied in elongated strips of a size convenient to handle andstock.

The height of the thicker base portion of the locking strip may bevaried by spacing the longitudinal lines I3-Ill greater or lesserdistances from the central line I2. Thus, in the modified form shown inFig. 6, the strip I9 is made from wider paper stock with the fold linesI3 and It spaced a greater distance from the central line I2. By sodoing, the infold of the material is made to extend upwardlyapproximately threefourths the height of the locking strip.

The several surfaces of the strip I I which come into Contact with oneanother when folded as explained above, may be coated with adhesive ifdesired. When so coated, the printer, after cut- 4 ting the necessarylength from the supply strip and appropriately conditioning theadhesive, folds the strip as described and produces thereby a compactsubstantially integral unit which may be easily handled and inserted inthe block of type- The present disclosure shows the locking strips inmore or less exaggerated or expanded condition so that the method offabrication may be clearly discernable. In use, however, the unit is ofcourse compressed with the adjacent layers of material in contactingrelation. If desired, the strips may be completely prefabricated, i. e.,folded and the contacting surfaces thereof glued together to form anintegral one-piece strip ready for use. In this form, the strips are cutin stock lengths which may be easily handled and stored by the printer,from which lengths the desired strips may be cut as necessary.

A relatively inexpensive compensating strip is thus provided which maybe easily used, and is highly efcient notwithstanding its simplicityvand inexpensive construction.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modifi-cation in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order td comply with the statute the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specic as to structural features, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the inventioninto effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its formsor modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

A disposable compensating insert usable in setting a block of typecomprising a strip of compressible fibrous material, reversely foldedupon itself transversely of the strip in alternating layers, a portionof said layers being of lesser extent than others, and adhesive coatedareas on said strip, said areas being brought into contacting relationupon the folding of the strip to unite the reversely folded strip into asubstantially integral one-piece assembly.

HARRY R. RETTER. CHARLES R. GREENE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l Date

